As a young professional, I was drawn to a career in surplus lines insurance because of the ability for individuals and companies to innovate, along with the flexibility and the continuing diversity of the work.  Through my years in the industry much has changed, but those same things that initially attracted me to this segment of the insurance industry remain unchanged and just as critical to success.  

As we prepare for NAPSLO's 2015 Mid-Year Leadership Forum, which begins Monday at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, I think this industry is in a great position to capitalize on those attributes both in how we attract new talent to our firms and in how we approach an ever-evolving marketplace.

According to the 2014 Special Report U.S. Surplus Lines–Segment Review, published by A.M. Best with a grant from the Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation, surplus lines direct premium written grew 11.8% and 8.4% in 2012 and 2013, respectively, which was a reversal of a five-year decline we saw from 2007 through 2011. The report also noted that over the 21 years that this report has studied the market, the surplus lines portion of the market has more than doubled from 3.3% of total property/casualty direct premiums written in 1993, to approximately 6.9% by the end of 2013.